Today we’d like to introduce you to Katharine Phillips
Hi Katharine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My interest in art as a career, specifically painting and design, all started my sophomore year in college at the University of Florida. My Grandma passed away during finals week and I was not able to see her before the memorial service. Struggling with that, I decided to paint a picture of her for my PapaDon. It was the first time I picked up a paintbrush for myself rather than for a high school assignment or group project. The feeling that I got after doing that painting made me realize I was pretty good at it, and I had to keep doing it. So I did. I added classes in graphic design to my schedule so I could learn how to incorporate my creativity into my studies. Meanwhile, I continued to paint and had two solo art shows/exhibits while attending UF. After graduation, I did freelance and debated doing art full-time before landing a graphic design position at Creative Artist Agency, that ultimately shaped my entire career path. I stayed with CAA for seven years, working my way up to executive designer, traveling all over and gaining so much experience along the way. As much as I loved working for CAA, the desire to pursue painting never seemed to go away. I would paint here and there, but I knew if I really wanted it to take off, I would have to commit 100% to it. So, as scary as it was, I decided to leave CAA and start my own company, KPHILL Designs (Named after how I sign all my paintings – KPHILL – pronounced K-PHILL) in August 2023. Almost a year later, and I haven’t looked back. Leaving corporate America and going off on your own is no joke… at times it’s a lot harder than I expected it to be, but slowly I’m getting more comfortable marketing my work. I do graphic design, logo design, custom illustrations, custom portraits, custom wedding art and invitations, and of course, painting. Even though my career has taken me so many places, the journey I’m on now is by far the most exciting!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
HAHA…no. And if anyone tells you otherwise, they’re either lying or have superpowers. I’m not going to lie, saying you left your 9 to 5 to start your own company sounds awesome, but there are plenty of struggles behind the scenes. For me, just working from home has been a challenge. After working for so long with a team of people always around to bounce ideas off of, it’s hard not to feel a little isolated working alone in my studio. Another big challenge for me as been self-promoting. I was never great at social media and big part of being a small business is building a social media following. But, slowly, I have been better about networking and switching up my work environment on non-painting days and going to coffee shops with friends who are also freelancers – you never know who you will run into and sometimes it might be someone that will need your service! There are endless opportunities to be made and I have to remind myself of that constantly.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
To put it simply, I do freelance graphic design and fine art. I specialize in logo design, illustrations and painting. I am known for my poster illustrations, pop art painting and custom wedding invitations. I am always most proud of my paintings. As much as I love doing the digital art (logo design, poster illustrations, graphic design), it doesn’t compare to feeling I get after completing a painting. I think how I paint on wood sets me apart from other painters.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Life is short, and it’s easy to get sucked into your routine. But when weekdays start fading into months and you start to lose excitement or a sense of proudness in what you do, don’t be afraid to make a change. Covid gave me a lot of time to think and realize my job could essentially be done from anywhere, so deciding to go off on my own didn’t seem that crazy. I think Covid gave a lot of people time to reassess their work-life balance and decide what is truly important to them and find ways to make time for those things.
Pricing:
- Graphic Design Hourly Rate $85/hour
- Original Paintings Starting at $600
- Prints Starting at $15
- Custom Digital Illustrations Starting at $75
- Custom Wedding Art/Invitations Starting at $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kphilldesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kphilldesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554237325000
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kphill904?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
